# Is expensive skin care better than an inexpensive one?



## jonsgirl (Jun 15, 2006)

I have been using Chanel Cosmetics for about 2 years, but its starting to effect my pocket book. Is drug store brands the same as department store brands. Im 26 years old. Im worried that if i change brands i will break out and lose my anti aging benefits that i get from using Chanel. Can someone give me advice????????

Monique


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## geebers (Jun 15, 2006)

There is no proof that using more expensive brands will make that much of a difference compared to drug store brands. I have pretty sensitive skin but I refuse to pay only for expensive products - I found amazing drug store makeup and products through trial and error. I also suggest mixing it up. You don't have to use everything Chanel nor do you have to stop using everything completely. I have a few MAC products mixed in with Revlon, L'Oreal, Prestige, Rimmel, etc. If you mix and match- you get the best results. My advice - it's best to go high end on foundation, concealer, or cover-up - because these products make a difference on your face first and foremost. You can go cheap with the eyeshadows (especially since you experiment with colors and fads come and go) and the mascara (there is little difference with mascara). I chose to buy expensive eye liner - but to be honest - I don't see a difference with the Lancome eyeliner and the Mark by Avon.





Hope that helps a bit.


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## 4getmeNot (Jun 15, 2006)

are you talking about skincare or makeup? honestly, i prefer to buy expensive skincare because i don't have good skin, but i have been using a drugstore cleanser for several weeks with good results. so i agree with geebers..it's kind of a trial and error thing. there is definitely d/s products that work for you, they just have to be found..i do the same as geebers by only buying expensive foundation, powder,etc. (or at least try to



) but there are HG's that i just have to have that are high-end. so i would say experiement with the drugstore products, but don't feel bad about buying an expensive cleanser or lipstick every now and then.


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## emily_3383 (Jun 15, 2006)

I dont think so, i use cetaphil and ponds and im happy with them.


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## jass (Jun 15, 2006)

I don't think so, theres a few ladies on here who you dove bar soap at less than 3$!!!


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## Leony (Jun 15, 2006)

Nah, I'm 26 and I used Chanel and Esteelauder before for my skincare regimen and it didn't do anything so impressive for my skin. Maybe I was too young and no need to use any expensive skincare products.

But, now I'm switching to inexpensive and affordable products and I am happy with my skin right now. Plus, you also need to care your skin from the inside and your diet as well to get the great skin, not just from the outside.

If you worried about breaking out from switching product, you should find something that safe for your skin type. Find and read reviews for the product you interested to try first. Get the samples if you can. If you prone to acne, find something that oil-free but IMO as long as you wash your face properly and exfoliate regularly even product with mineral oil ingredients won't break you out. Also, you might want to brows for ingredients that safe/unsafe for your skin type so you know what you'll going to get .

As for the anti aging, in my opinion the best anti aging is from your diet.

Fish, raw vegetables, Vitamins and Collagen are the really good for the skin, to slow down the aging process. I'm taking care of my skin from the inside first and then protect and maintenance them from the outside.


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## jonsgirl (Jun 15, 2006)

Thanks 4 the feedback. Im going to try to mix my favorite product from Chanel with something thats less expensive from a drug store. Also i agree about foods i eat can help my skin. Keep the advice coming.

Monique


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## lavender (Jun 15, 2006)

You can read reviews about drugstore products before buying them. Knowing that someone else with skin that is similar to yours (dry/ acne prone/ oily/ sensitive etc) has benefited from a certain product might mean that it will probably work for you as well, but it might not. But reading the reviews will definitely help in narrowing down your options, which is good because you don't have to try each and every one of the products before you find a suitable one.


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## zombies8myheart (Jun 15, 2006)

I use neutrogena... and I think it's amazing.


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## NYShopgirl (Jun 15, 2006)

i don't think that expensive brands are better when it comes to skin care. All products vary. There are a lot of inexpensive brand that also delivers very good.


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## ivette (Jun 15, 2006)

i don't see a huge difference. what you can do is look at the ingredient list to see exactly what u are getting and compare with other brands


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## Jennifer (Jun 15, 2006)

this is a repeat, but i definitely don't see a difference. i'm happy with the drugstore products i use. they work just as effectively. the only way i'd go high-end is if you're looking for a specific ingredient that's impossible to get for a low price.


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## girl_geek (Jun 16, 2006)

I don't think so, my $5 Neutrogenia On-The-Spot Treatment works almost as well (if not just as well) as the prescription ance creams I used to use! And my dermatologist always used to recommend Cetaphil moisturizer, and either Cetaphil or Dove bar soap to wash my face! However, he did insist I use Prescriptives makeup, since he said that was the only brand that was _truly_ noncomedogenic, or at least according to him



Also, the expensive Clinac OC Oil Control Gel my derm recommended did nothing for me!



So apparently price may make a difference in mu but not necessarily skin care....


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## monniej (Jun 16, 2006)

when i switched from my pricey sundari cleanser to aveeno my skin actually improved. you just can't tell what's going to work until you give it a try. i'm pretty much all over the map with everything. i use aveeno cleanser at night and murad (a little pricey) in the mornings. i use stridex pads 5 days a week and i use philosphy pads 2 days out of the week. the only area that i don't have a drug store equivalent for is my moisturizer. still buying the pricey stuff because my skin loves it, but i have cut down to the amount i use and my skin doesn't seem to have noticed. now it does seem to last longer.


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## LittleRumor (Jun 17, 2006)

Not all expensive lines have super great products. My cleanser is a cheapo neutrogena brand for $6 and my estee lauder moisturizer is $50. Several other treatments can be up to $50 such as my HydroQ, Retin A, things that last a long time anyway. What I use to decide what products are good are the reviews and suggestions from derma books.

If you're looking to change to cheaper brands, then check the ingredients and compare them to chanel's. Things like cleansers can be very similar. Also, change one product at a time, and give it at least a month to see if you breakout from it.


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## 4getmeNot (Jun 18, 2006)

i also second neutrogena. i have the oil free acne foaming cleanser and the acne eliminating gel spot treatment. these have worked so great for my skin the past few weeks. this brand is ecspecially great for acne prone skin i think b/c a lot of their products are targeted to that.


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## SuperNanna (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi! I like to experiment and I use different products. Right now I am using a new line I found called L'ACRIMA. The eye revitalizer is fantastic and I can actually see the difference. Neutrogena seems to be a really good lower priced line. I often read Paula Begoun, the cosmetics cop, and she says that you can find great products at low prices and many of the higher-priced items are real rip offs and not even good for your skin. She puts out a book every year reviewing different products and analyzing the ingredients in them. She is often on TV. If you'd like to read her, here's her URL.

http://www.cosmeticscop.com

I really love Mut and am so happy when I open my email and find the newletter has arrived!

Cheers to All!


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## LipglossQueen (Jun 22, 2006)

I dont think expensive brands are neccesarily better, just look for good quality affordable products that work; some people swear by Clinique etc but right now for me using a gentle natural soap is working much better than any cleanser I've used.


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## Pauline (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi Monique, I totally know where you are coming from with regards your question.I too only used to buy Chanel or some other expensive brand.Since i am older now and have used expensive brands and drugstore brands,i can in all honesty say that i think that some of the drug store brands are just as good as Chanel etc, sometimes i actually think the usual brands are better! I have found that a good foundation is really important,so i tend to buy a good foundation.Things like mascara and eyeliner have a limited shelf life anyway,so if you can find a good alternative for your expensive brand and see how you go.

I have a ton of makeup just sitting around and a lot of it is expensive stuff i have collected over the years and spent a fortune on.I dont think the expensive brands are any better than the drugstore.Even some of the high street skincare can and does give the luxuary brands a good run for their money.


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## nswilla (Jun 22, 2006)

Hi. I too do a combination. My makeup is mostly high-end: foundation (Prescriptives), loose powder (Sue Devitt), blush (NARS, Shu Uemura), eyeliner (Lancome, MAC) and eyeshadow (MAC, Lancome). But my mascara (Cover Girl), lip gloss (Neutrogena), and lip liner (Prestige, Revlon) are drugstore. I do think it's important to have good quality makeup brushes--the best you can afford.

All my skin care is drugstore, either Neutrogena, Eucerin, or natural ingredients such as jojoba oil (makeup remover) and Vitamin E oil (eye moisturizer). My toner is very simple; I got the idea from Harper's Bazaar. Mix equal volumes of water and hydrogen peroxide.


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## lovesboxers (Jun 23, 2006)

I used to use high end skin care and now use the aveeno clear complexion bar for 2.99 and I used dove moisturizer for sensitive skin and I have the best that I have had in a long time and cheaper too.


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## lipjunkie (Jun 23, 2006)

fancyfinds-

i'm pretty sure i read somewhere that lancome and l'oreal paris are owned by the same company and a lot of their products have similar ingredients.

try some of their mascaras, many people here seem to be a fan of the l'oreal volumous one...it's worth a shot if you like it (sorry i can't give a personal opinion, i don't really wear mascara), since mascara doesn't last long anyway

as for foundation, i remember there was a neutrogena one i liked, healthy skin enhancer or something like that...sorry, my memory's not that great


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## Gleam84 (Jun 23, 2006)

Originally Posted by *Jennifer* The only way i'd go high-end is if you're looking for a specific ingredient that's impossible to get for a low price. That's exactly why I use MD Formulations. It's quite pricey, but it has glycolic acid in it, and that's the ingredient I'm looking for.


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## Anyah_Green (Jun 23, 2006)

I don't think it really matters. Just as long as the product works for you. Just make sure you don't forget to moisturize. It helps more than you know!

Best of luck and keep us posted. I'd be interested to see what you use, and wha tyou think of it! ;0)


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## Magicboop (Jun 23, 2006)

I have used both and find that alot of the inexpensive ones are just as good as the expensive ones.


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## JoAnnAtkinson (Jun 23, 2006)

I realize you guys are talking mostly about skin care but I thought I would drop in and ask you about Vital Radiance Foundation. Hoping someone has tried it???

It is a "little more expensive" foundation is the Vital Radiance. Walmart now is selling it. From what I am told it is a higher line of makeup that usually is sold in the Malls, but they have geared it for the more Mature skin (such as mine) and selling it in the drug stores and stores such as Walmart. Revlon makes it, I am told.

Anyone using the Vital Radiance???? I am very interested in how you like it or NOT?

JoAnn in TEXAS


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## maryfitz24 (Jun 23, 2006)

Originally Posted by *ivette* i don't see a huge difference. what you can do is look at the ingredient list to see exactly what u are getting and compare with other brands Ditto!


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## ArbonneAngel (Jun 23, 2006)

Inexpensive means low-quality. *You get what you pay for.*

Crappy drugstore makeup has mineral oil, animal products and by-products, and harmful chemicals. They are often tested on animals, so if you care about animals, I'd avoid cheap makeup.


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## LipglossQueen (Jun 24, 2006)

To be honest I'd say that isn't quite ture Arbonne, price doesn't always equate quality there are cheap creams that don't contain mineral oil, as there are expensive ones that do and also test on animals.


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## ArbonneAngel (Jun 24, 2006)

I should've typed, "OR harmful chemicals," meaning most or all of cheap cosmetics contain at least one of those.

It is more common for inexpensive makeup to contain those types of ingredients, because they are cheaper than synthetic and natural/vegetable alternatives.


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## KellyB (Jun 24, 2006)

I started using Olay's microdermabasion kit recently and while it's still not cheap, it is much less expensive than what I used to spend on higher end brands. I disagree that you get what you pay for, in most cases anyway. I think it depends on your skin care needs. There are some products that I am willing to spend more money on because they work for what I need them for, but high end brand does not always equal better. I think it's individual preference.


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## ArbonneAngel (Jun 24, 2006)

I don't mind agreeing to disagree!


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## Avon Girl (Jun 25, 2006)

I agree Kelly, price has nothing to do with it. Not many companies test on animals anymore...not PC. As far as mineral oil, I have done some research and its not the evil that certain companies like to portray. Some people have allergies to mineral oil. Many doctors still prescribe it post surgery . It cannot smother your skin and stop it from breathing. What moisturizers are suppose to do is create a barrier between skin and air. Keeping air off the skin is what keeps it from drying out. Would I put baby oil on my face? No but use it in the shower. My skin is so dry I itch til I bleed. I do use the Arbonne line but not because of all that " chemicals are evil" stuff. I use it cause its good.And a friend sold it to me. But I the same results from ROC, Avon and a miriad of other items. God knows we all have closets full!


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## LipglossQueen (Jun 25, 2006)

I agree on the mineral oil point, I think it has to be decided that it is neither bad nor particularly good but it's a 'bad' oil.


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## aMadeUp (Jun 26, 2006)

Like my makeup, I use Nars skin care and have been for quite a while. It's not cheap, but to me it's worth every penny...I just try to make it last a long as possible...like other girls have said, you get what you pay for and for my skin, I won't use anything tooo cheap.


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## geebers (Jun 26, 2006)

I have tried both expensive and inexpensive products and I find that you can decide for yourself what works and waht doesn't. In my opinion, my budget doesn't allow for super expensive products and after trial and error, Dove Soap and Cetaphil cream work perfectly fine if not better than anything else. In terms of makeup - I DO see a difference with pricy skin care -and so I mix and match. I believe that foundation, powders, concealers, and a few classic color eyeshadows are enough for me.


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## Kelly (Jun 26, 2006)

I believe if it works for you, then the expense is not what counts. I too have experience with high and low end products, some high end work great and other high end do nothing for me, and vise versa with the low end products.

I have however noticed lately since I've come to know more high end products, that I like the results of the items I do use now. That being said, I do still have a few of my low ends that I still come back to or will never stray from. It's all about preference and what works for you as an individual.


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## kittii (Jun 27, 2006)

why spend tons of money on something thats exactly the same but like 20 dollars cheaper? i always get the cheaper stuff works great for me oooh and i like neutragena lol it makes my face feel cold and refreshed!


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## JoAnnAtkinson (Jun 27, 2006)

Kittii,

*What products of Neutrogena do you use*? My Dermotologist told me to use *Healthy Skin by Neutrogena*, during the day. I use Retin A at night, but if I didn't have the Retin A, she told me to use the Healthy Skin at night too.

I was just wondering what other products you like by neutrogena for skin care? I have more normal/dry skin.


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## Nessicle (Jun 27, 2006)

I use Dove Sensitive Skin bar (BTW dove bars are beauty bars and not soaps so kinder for your skin). I recently purchased a Clinique mild facial soap for Â£9 (UKP) and to be honest it was exactly the same as the Dove only way more expensive. I then use Olay Beauty Fluid so my skin regime costs about Â£4 and my skin is clear and bright so for me no, expensive doesnt equal good!


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## ymnznygirl (Jun 30, 2006)

Im one of those that always believe that you "get what you paid for". I really like the idea of "natural skincare" because I am worried about the long term effects of putting all these chemicals on the skin. I can honestly say I have never liked an inexpensive item! Cetaphil was just ok. I like dhc cleansing oil. I dunno, maybe I just need to keep experimenting.


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## CuTeLiCiOuS (Jul 2, 2006)

I think it depends all on ingredents. Finding the right products and taking care of your skin such as water, vitamins, not smoking, etc


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## AnneNJ (Jul 3, 2006)

I agree with Cutelicious (love that name, by the way).

Also, finding the right products for you and what you want your results to be are "what works for you," regardless of price. If you just want to clean your skin, then there are lots of things out there. But, if you have problem areas or things you want to address (fine lines, dry patches, dullness,etc.) then you need to find a product that will address those issues. It's trial and error, I think.

~Anne


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## ShelbyLynn (Jul 4, 2006)

Frankly I do not think there is much of a difference between expensive brands and inexpensive store brands. I am 37 yrs old have been introduced to Ice Elements skin care line and I absolutely love it. It has cleared up my hyperpigmentation and old acne scars. I have gotten tons of compliments after a month of using it too.

I guess it all depends on the ingredients!...IMO


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## ShelbyLynn (Jul 6, 2006)

Originally Posted by *hollywood* Isn't Ice expensive skincare line? I do not find it expensive. IMO


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## StrokerAce (Jul 6, 2006)

I would agree with the majority here (or so it seems to me) in saying that price isn't the most important factor in finding the most suitable skincare products. It all comes down to your skin and how it reacts to different ingredients and forumulae. For some, the best result might be with a cheap product, others with an expensive product. I've yet to find a skincare regime that suits me perfectly, although I have found that Palmer's Cocoa Butter is a godsend for my dry skin. Just as well that it's pretty cheap!

I think the key with cheap products is to sift through the crappy find the elusive ones that work well.


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